The Things You Need To Know Before Watching Rogue One

8 Things You Should Absolutely Know Before Watching Rogue One

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is about to drop this week, and Star Wars nerds all over the globe are freaking out right now. But you don't have to be a complete nerd to appreciate the most recent entry in one of the biggest movie franchises in history. Getting some intel on the where, who and what of Rogue One will give you a big leg up when it comes to getting the most out of the movie, and will allow you to simply sit back and enjoy the show. Besides, there won't be any scrolling text in the opening to get you situated, so it's probably best to read on, to find out the eight things you should absolutely know before grabbing a ticket.

While most of this information is essentially publicly available, if you'd rather not have anything spoiled at all, it might be best to stop reading right here.

When It's Set

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set between the occurrences of Star Wars Episode III and IV. It has been 19 years since the epic battle between Jedi master Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. And of course, it's around this time that Anakin decides to put on Darth Vader's mask and suit.

Who's Jyn Erso?

The new bright star on the horizon and brand new female lead character in the Star Wars universe is Jyn Erso, a former criminal, who sided with the Alliance during the Galactic Civil War to restore the Republic (Alliance to Restore The Republic are the rebels with the X-Wing fighters, who appear in the original trilogy).

She has been arrested for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and forgery. Suffice it to say, she's a badass.

Jyn's Dad Is A Big Bad

Jyn's father, played by Mads Mikkelsen, is the scientist, who took it upon himself to engineer the Death Star. Sure sounds like a whole host of family issues. No wonder she's going to break bad, and live through her own adventure.

The Plot Thickens

In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jyn will be tasked by the Alliance to gain intel on the Death Star, and find out as much as she can about it. But if there's one thing we know about the Death Star, it won't be blown up just yet, but we do know from Episode IV that Princess Leia is in possession of these plans, giving away the fact that Jyn's mission will ultimately be a success.

References in Episode IV

Setting up one of the most iconic and influential scifi movies of all time, the opening scrolling text of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope actually references the events that unfurl in Rogue One. Here's the scrolling text in its entirety:

“It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy…”

A New Droid In Town

It wouldn't be a new Star Wars entry, if it weren't for an introduction of a brand new droid: K-2SO is played by Alan Tudyk (Firefly) and stands seven feet tall -- a whole lot taller than either C3PO or R2-D2. The actor had to stand on stilts in a motion capture suit. Probably not the most dignified way to act. But it isn't actually his first time, either: he wore a motion capture suit in the making of I Robot featuring Will Smith back in 2004.

What About Vader?

Darth Vader will inevitably make his big bad entrance at some point during the Rogue One. It's mostly a matter of when, not if. James Earl Jones is already confirmed to be back to voice one of the most evil characters in scifi history. And he will most likely want to have a look at his latest vanity project, the Death Star.

Who's The Director?

Director Gareth Edwards has directed two big releases in recent memory: Monsters, a scifi action flick about giant tentacled monsters, and the Godzilla reboot from 2014 -- a movie praised for its visuals, but not so much for the fact that Godzilla himself didn't get nearly enough screen time. Let's hope we won't be left saying the same thing about Darth Vader in Rogue One.